


Penance is Winter Cold

by Azeran



Series: AU-ThorxJotun!Loki [5]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Arranged Marriage AU, Chronicles of Narnia - Freeform, Jadis - Freeform, Jotun!Loki, M/M, Thor wants to make up for his stupidity, continuance of sorts, kicking a witch's ass seems a logical step
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-11
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-01-18 23:38:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1447138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor attempts to scheme a way back into Loki's good graces, the best way he knows how.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just fyi, this is a direct tie in to my other ThorxLoki works, and I'd suggest reading them before moving on to this one. Also, I'll be definitely adding more onto this story, likely as a string of connected one shots all uploaded under this name, in chapter form. Yeah, it's going to be a full blown story. Shh. I'm trying not to let my mind realize this, 'cause I tend to balk at multi chapter things. Silly me. 
> 
> Also. Crossover story. Oh yes, this is going to be a thing. Do remember to comment at the end and tell me what you think's going to happen. ;)

When they had first been betrothed, there was a ceremonial exchange of gifts between he and Loki. It was tradition, and they were of the finest quality to be found in all the realms. Weapons and tomes, leather and beautifully cut jewels in casings of gold. From Jotunheim Loki had brought strange cloth that was light as air, but stronger than steel, and weapons of enchanted ice that would never melt. All of the gifts they exchanged were impressive, to be sure. Yet none were exceptionally…..sentimental. Thor certainly hadn’t selected any of them with his future consort in mind, not truly. If Loki found any of them at all appealing, it was pure luck. Perhaps he’d enjoyed the glittering gold and emeralds, being so rare on his realm. Maybe he even found interest in the books. That wasn’t enough. He deserved treasures that were not simply common luxuries, meaningless and contrived. Thor wanted to give Loki things he would enjoy. Things he’d appreciate. He wanted to give the prince a gift that would express how much he’d come to adore him. How much he respected him, and the skills Loki brought to their match. It was as he deserved. 

The trick was, no matter what ideas Thor conjured up, none struck him as good enough. They were all too simple, too grand, or simply in poor choice for the diminutive Jotun. What use had he for weapons, when his magic served as both his sword and shield? Silks and jewels were lovely, but he was a prince. Thor’s future consort. He had more than enough of both to fill his entire bedroom. And what little Thor knew of magic wasn’t enough to help him select any rare tomes or scrolls that Loki might find useful. Besides, he spent more than enough time in the royal library as is. No…whatever he decided upon as gift to his intended, Thor would have to ensure that it was both useful, and appealing. He knew Loki valued both in his things. But what could he give him? What would possibly appeal to his future mate? 

In truth, it took him far longer to dredge up an idea than he was comfortable admitting. Thor was no stranger to wooing, though his had always been lighthearted attempts, with no real intentions to commitment. And it was always some fair maiden who caught his eye. Where pretty baubles and fancy jewels would make their eyes light up, Loki’s simply went flat as stone, always with a dispassionate expression. So Thor had to think long and hard on something befitting the beautiful Jotun. He devoured rumors and tales from the other realms for a chance at hearing of some new-found adventure that would deliver the results he desired. Pouring over news brought to him by advisers, sometimes his fellow warriors, he looked for any clue, however small. The experience was trying, and taxed his patience. Loki might have been pleased, had he known what Thor was up to. He always said patience and wisdom were just as powerful a weapon as anything carried into battle. 

Perhaps he was right. Thor’s patience served him well. There came news of a strange world far from their own; it wasn’t connected to Yggdrasil, and had never been accessed before. It took a skilled sorcerer to walk between realms without the Bifrost alone, but that didn’t deter him. Not when he heard of the prize awaiting him there. Rumors bespoke of a wicked creature with skin the color of freshly fallen snow who dwelt in the far north of her lands, terrorizing all who came in contact with her. Thor had heard that she was amassing an army of creatures even more foul and beastly than herself to help her conquer the lands for her own. Then she would rule as queen, feared and powerful, with none to stand in her way. He cared not for this knowledge. What he did care for was the legend herself. It was told that she was a powerful witch, with gifts surpassing all others. Surely such a creature would reap a fitting prize? If he could but find her, and slaughter her in battle….

This was the issue that troubled him. Thor would be doing that realm a favor by striking her down, surely. And perhaps in honor they might thank him with jewels and gold, whatever beauties they had to offer. One might appeal to Loki. The witch herself could possess something he valued! Did not those who practiced seidr have their useful baubles? It was risky though. Simply finding this strange realm would be enough of a challenge, if not nye impossible, and what if he managed it? He couldn’t storm her doorway, demanding a duel. Experience was a grand teacher, and the prince knew well now to never underestimate an opponent, whether their talent be sword or spell. Unfortunately, this only served to strain his morale. If he went to this land, and he approached the witch, Thor would be all but walking in blind. He needed a plan of action. This couldn’t fail. He wouldn’t disappoint Loki, not again. Loki deserved a gift worthy of him, and difficulty be damned, he would have it. So swore Thor on his heart and crown. 

A promise bound didn’t make things any less challenging. Pleasing his consort to be was proving to be a daunting task, Thor thought with a heavy sigh, crossing his meaty forearms on the table, hidden away in a corner of the library. There were maps and rolls of parchment scattered across the glossy surface, littered with crude sketches and hastily scribbled out words that he’d written in an attempt to give his thoughts some structure. It was a poor plan. Battle strategy had never been a gift in his arsenal, nor had he ever cared, in the past. His strength and willpower served him well. But strength alone wouldn’t help him with this task. If the rumors were true, and he was facing a true witch, then he suspected what he was up against, were she to possess a fraction of magic like Loki’s. Thor remembered well how their bout had gone. Loki had been a storming tempest that roared his rage for all to hear, yet he calculated, striking blows that cut deep and burned with an icy chill. What if Thor’s foe was the same? 

Pride told him that he could handle her. Logic warily agreed, but warned him not to make the same mistake twice. Things had to progress smoothly. He had to triumph, lest shame forever cloud his relationship with his Jotun prince, already strained from his own idiocy. He’d insulted him, belittling his talents as a sorcerer be ignored in favor of poor hearted declarations of brawny strength for protection. This was his chance to make amends. Thor was going to prove to Loki that he valued him as a companion, and respected his gifts for the majesty that they were. He’d face the witch in combat as equal warriors. He’d defeat her, take what rewards he could and bestow them all upon the prince, until they found one suited to his might. Something was bound to catch his eye. Thor wouldn’t stop until they found it. Even if the battle alone took days, weeks, he’d fight to the end and show his lessons well learned. Damn it all, Loki deserved that much. It was just….difficult. “So very difficult.” 

“What is?” The husky voice sent him jolting from his chair. His surprised roar did nothing to mask Loki’s laughter, a cool smile set upon the thunderer as he stepped out from the shadows and took a seat on the chair arm, loincloth swishing about his calves, a cloak drawn about his shoulders and masking his bloodlines from view. “Steady yourself, Odinson. It’s only me.” 

Only him. As if he held no special meaning. “Loki. What brings you here at this late hour? Should you not be resting?” Thor ignored the rapid beat of his heart and smiled warmly at his intended. There was strain between them still, for Loki didn’t immediately return it, and appeared a touch miffed at his questions as well. Ever since their bout, he’d been more prim and reclusive than Thor was comfortable with. He missed the teasing and harmless insults Loki used to throw at him. He longed to see those scarlet eyes light up with laughter, pleasure, anything invoking his true mischievous nature. It pained him to know that this was his doing. “I…see the seamstresses have outfitted you with new garments.” Beseeching, Thor grasped for any tendril of conversation, subtly trying to draw Loki’s attention towards him, and away from the scrolls he could see crimson irises glancing towards. “You look lovely. Green suits you well, Loki, as always.”

“And why should it not? Green is the color of warriors and kings. My heritage.” Loki ignored his abashed expression and gestured towards the table. “What is all this? I never imagined you to be the studious sort.” He reached for a bit of parchment. Thor panicked, stepping between Loki and the table and near causing an embarrassing collision with those fingers and his groin. Luckily they stopped before contact occurred. That was the last sort of thing he wanted on his mind. 

“I’m not. It’s battle strategies.” He said the first thing that came to mind, and regretted it instantly. Loki would know he was lying. His talents with trickery made him almost omnipotent when it came to these sort of things, and Thor had never been a very good liar anyway. He could only hope that the prince would overlook this fault, and take his words at face value. 

Loki had always done well when it came to doing the opposite of what he was meant to. “Do not mock me, Odinson. Only a simpleton would fall for such tricks. Asgard has no plans for battle, nor would you need to strategize if there were. It’s hardly your style. You favor a more brutal approach.” Truth, but it cut Thor to the core to hear Loki say it so bluntly. No doubt he thought that his approach to everything. He’d given the Jotun no reason to believe otherwise. Thor sighed, taking a step aside to allow him a full view of the scroll covered table. Now wasn’t the most adequate time to start making changes, but it would have to do. Loki deserved to know the truth. And they could start with his plans, since he saw no way to escape explaining just what he was up to without potentially harming their already fractured relationship. Thor couldn’t allow that to happen. So he let Loki look through the scrolls and various bits of parchment, the books on magic and ice, and he watched the curiosity unfold. 

“By Ymir’s pit, what are you up to?” Loki picked up a rough sketch of towering cliffs with a ravine carved through their center. One of those who had told Thor of the rumored witch had drawn him this, depicting where she was thought to dwell. They were daunting, if the size of them was to be given real world interpretation. “Thor?” 

Ah, so they were back to this. Loki must crave answers, to set aside his stubborn indifference. He couldn’t deny that it was a relief, however short and sweet. “They are plans.” He carefully took the drawing from him and set it down on the table. Seeing the questions taking shape on Loki’s lips, Thor held up a hand and pleaded silence. “Please. Let me explain. I know it appears that I’ve lost my senses, but there is a simple reasoning behind all this.” He took a steadying breath and carried on. “There have been rumors reaching my ears of a world far from our own that is home to a witch of extraordinary power. I sought to find her, and make my way to the lands in which she dwells. Here, if the claims are right.” Thor tapped the sketch, feeling the weight of scarlet orbs as they looked between him and the table. It made his disappointment all the greater. “I thought to defeat her in combat, and claim what treasures I could as boons, to beg for your forgiveness. But I feel now that this cause is fruitless. Without a way to reach this realm, my plans amount to nothing.” He reached for the Jotun’s cold hand and laced their fingers together, though met with stiff reluctance. “I‘m sorry, Loki. I only wanted to please you, and prove that I’ve learned from my mistakes.” 

“Your mistakes.” Thor kissed Loki’s fingers and frowned nervously. Would his actions be thrown back in his face? “What do you mean…” understanding smoothed over those cobalt features like a trickle of water, washing away all sense of feeling or a hint as to what Loki was thinking beneath the cold front he put forth. “The fight,” he murmured. “That’s what this is about. I never would’ve imagined…my words must have strongly affected you, if you resorted to all this.” His free hand gestured to the maddening display before them, and--there. Thor saw but a flash of it, but that was enough. Warmth. Whatever Loki thought of him, he’d at least garnered enough favor to make the prince smile. “You oaf. You were going to travel to an unfamiliar world and seek a fight with a witch, full well knowing nothing could come of it. What if she was poor, wretched, or had not a treasure to her name? What would you have done then?”

“Anything. I had to make you see that you were worth everything to me. Nothing in all the Nine realms could stop me from proving my admiration of your skills, and if that meant traveling to a dangerous, unexplored world threatened by a powerful witch, then so be it. You were worth that, Loki. And so much more.” Resistance fleeing from the smaller figure, Thor felt no qualms at wrapping Loki in his arms, a large hand carding gently through the mass of hair hanging silkily down his back. “I never meant to hurt you, but I know now that that’s precisely what I did. I never should have insulted your seidr, Loki. You’re a powerful sorcerer, and I thought….” he shook his head with a wry smile. “I thought to prove my faith by defeating the witch in battle. Rumors bespoke of her power and strength. If she was but half as powerful as you, then she would have made a worthy foe. I’d have taken great pleasure in defeating her. The fight had great potential for glory. And whatever treasures she owned would have been yours.” Thor had the decency to look sheepish, a soft kiss pressed to the highest crest of Loki’s cheek. “I know little of magic, but I thought something she possessed could appeal to you.” 

“Because all practitioners must use the same tools to work their craft. Surely there’s nothing to distinguish between us.” Loki cupped his face and muffled his anxious denial with a kiss, one that had Thor’s eyes near popping out of his head. “I jest, Thor. Your intentions were good, and it wasn’t a poor idea. Whomever this witch is, she might have owned something of interest to me. A rare tome, or enchanted dagger. Something.” Shrugging, he leaned away and smirked. “But I need no gifts from you. You’ve offered enough already.” 

So everyone else in Asgard likely thought. “What I’ve offered were paltry gifts, worth nothing to you,” Thor argued. “What good are jewels and gold when we are princes? You can have all of the baubles you desire, without lifting a single finger. I wanted to give you something you could truly appreciate, Loki, if not use to further your magical talents. And who better to retrieve this than from another spell caster?” He pulled the small Jotun back into his arms and gently tilted his chin up, thumb brushing the curved lines etched across his cool flesh. “You deserve luxury, refinement. I can offer you these, but that’s not enough. I wanted to show you that you are more to me than my intended Queen, and I adore you. Every part of you.” 

“Even my seidr?” 

Perhaps he imagined it, but Thor could have sworn Loki sounded…hopeful. “Every part, Loki. I swear on my life.” Casting a rueful grin to the table and its mess of parchment, he chuckled. “Had I but the opportunity, I’d continue forth with my plans and prove my devotion to you. Even if the witch possessed nothing of consequence, I would battle her in your name. Her magic, against my hammer.” 

“Is that your idea of a fair fight? To bash her skull in with your hammer?” Laughter bubbled in Loki’s throat, thick and rich like a fine wine. “I suppose it makes sense. Your strength and brawn against whatever magic she possesses…..but first, you’d have to successfully find her, without getting yourself killed.” He gave the thunderer an amused smile. “However did you plan to manage that? Fighting isn’t the answer to everything, Thor. Have you even the slightest clue as to where this world lies? I assume it’s not part of the Nine, else you would be gone already, charging forth with some half cocked plan.” 

It was irksome at times, the level to which Loki understood him. “You underestimate me, Loki,” Thor grumbled, taking a seat at the table again and casting a few of the sketches aside. “I can be clever too, despite what you might believe.” He was right though. Thor had no idea where this world lied, since it wasn’t a part of Yggdrasil’s branches, and therefore there was no conceivable way to reach it. Even after questioning those who shared the rumors, he was no closer to success. None knew where they hailed from, nor how to reach their birth place. Disappointing. He cast a grave look to one of the charcoal colored drawings, tension roped through every one of his muscles and wound tighter still when cool hands came to rest on his shoulder blades. “I’ve failed you.” The silent again didn’t need saying. 

“How so? Because you have not the wits nor cunning to reach a realm so far from your own?” Soft chuckling brushed his ears, and those cold fingers he was so fond of lightly pressed into his tunic, working the flesh beneath with a talent Thor could never deny. “Oh Thor….blind, arrogant, sentimental Thor. What do you think of me, to strive for such ridiculous lengths? You needn’t gift me with boons. I know you regret your foolhardy actions. You express much without speaking,” Loki reached around and tapped a scruffy cheek. “Forget this other world, and its witch. I accept your actions for their intention, and thank you. It’s a rare prize indeed, to have Asgard’s prince so desperate to apologize.” 

Then Loki would forgive him, just like that. Thor’s brow wrinkled with concern, and he caught the Jotun by the wrist, half pulling and half lifting him onto his lap with an infuriating lack of care for the scant piece of cloth barely masking Loki’s privates from view. Now was not the time for boyish lusts, and primal hungers could come later. He would speak his mind, before the prince cast it beneath a veil of numbing trickery. It was a talent of his, the wicked silvertongue. “Apologies mean nothing, Loki. You have your words, but I am a man of action, and so action shall fuel my penance. I acted the fool that day, and I know I have much to atone for because of my refusal to understand you and your ways. You are Loki. I respect that, and I want nothing about you to change. But you must accept in turn that just as you are Loki, I am Thor.” He caught those surprised lips in a slow, tender kiss midway through what would have surely been a persuasive argument, only stopping when they willingly parted atop his with no words, but preferable moans. Loki was easier to cajole when he was kissed senseless. “I don’t deserve your trust. Not yet. But I would ask for your aide, if you may offer it.”

The roots of mistrust were sprouting in those crimson depths. Thor watched them grow, only to be drowned as Loki placed a hand on his chest and shifted his weight to better rest on the firm thighs beneath him. “Name your request.” He made himself comfortable with a smirk, tucking his cloak folds around him as fingers worked over the designs of Thor’s armor. It was the most at ease he’d ever seen him. “If it’s intriguing enough, I might consider granting it.” 

From Loki, that was practically a yes. Delight restrained, Thor wrapped his arms around him and basked in the pleasure of having the prince astride him, whatever perverse connotations others might have taken from the embrace. He was simply happy to have Loki with him, in whatever way he was most secure. “I won’t stop until I make amends,” he rumbled, nesting his mouth into the silky coil of black hair. “Nothing you say will change my mind. Even if I cannot slay the witch, there are other realms. Other battles to be found. If it takes me a thousand years to prove to you your worth in my eyes, I will endure them with humbleness, Loki. But I truly believe this is the best course, for us both. I feel it. Fate desires me to go there.” The moment of truth. Thor covered Loki’s throat with a bare hand and gently tilted his head back, laving kisses over the whorl patterned skin nearest his brow and the base of a gleaming horn. “Help me, Loki. Your magic is strong. Alone, I have no hope of finding this world, but with your assistance…”

“You wish me to help you with your plight?” Loki hummed. “Does that not defeat the purpose of atonement?” 

“It might. But there is none other whom I trust more to aide me.” He felt Loki’s reaction more than anything else; a flutter against his palm, of heart beats racing like a frantic drum. “For the sake of my apology, I must be the one to slay the witch. The fight will be fair, her magic free from tethers. But I would have you and I journey there together, Loki, if it’s at all possible.” Hopeful for the first time since he’d concocted this mad scheme, Thor looked to his intended and smiled. “Is it?” 

“Mm….” the repose was clear in how flesh was rubbed against his palm, Loki’s eyes cast to the ceiling. He let Thor stroke and kiss him to his heart’s content while he waited for a proper answer. It didn’t take long. “You’re a mad fool.” 

Thor kissed his temple. “Aye.” He need say no more than that. Whatever the decision made, his mind would remain unchanged. One way or another, he’d make amends to the prince. It was up to Loki whether or not they made the journey together, possibilities allowing. Which, he noted with a bold smile, they clearly were. Nothing could make Loki look so otherwise gleeful. “Your thoughts roil, Loki. Come. Tell me of them.” He watched sapphire digits close over a sketch and lift it for analysis, tracing the dark mountains with their smudged tips of coal, and blurry lines depicting rivers that would likely flow colder than the harshest winter. Did he see something within them? Thor thought yes, yes he did, and was proven right with the prince’s thoughtful question. 

“This world…..have your rumors given it a name? I’ll need that much to work with, if we’re to travel there sometime this millennium.”

Indeed they would. Clutching Loki tighter to his chest, mind teeming with the plans and potential adventures they would share, he drew a forefinger across the page and drew it for both their eyes to see, the name foreign and odd as it passed from his lips. “They call it…Narnia.” It tasted magical, like the fables of old he’d read as a child, before books were exchanged for sword and shield. Loki repeated the strange word and held it longer on his tongue, a wondrous expression on his face that Thor wished he could immortalize forever. Whatever feelings the odd name created, that no less decreased its potential. Thor knew not what this place would hold, but that adventure would come and open her arms to them both. And, were he lucky, this Narnia held the tools of his forgiveness nestled close to her breast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Narnia,” Thor muttered, feeling a lash of cold whip his cheek. He wasn’t certain how he knew, but this was where he’d find the key to his success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bitches be going to Narnia. Oh yeah. And by bitches, I mean the resident Norse homos. They’re gonna fuck some shit up, Thor’s going to be his endearing, stupid self, Loki’s going to cause chaos while being an utterly sneaky, untrustworthy bastard, and it should be glorious. I hope. I leave that for you readers to decide. Here’s hoping! Do remember to leave some feedback, yeah? I appreciate it greatly. <3
> 
> Disclaimer: Thor, Loki? Yeah, they aren’t mine. Marvel owns them, at least the MCU and comic/tv/etc versions, and Disney owns that. Otherwise, that’s mythology’s glorious love child. As for Narnia and all it encompasses, also not mine. Seriously, that’s kinda obvious.

“If you sought a clandestine approach, then I fear we are doomed to failure. Your footsteps are like those of a wild beast on a rampage to slake their unquenchable hungers. Could you not attempt to tread more softly? It’s almost as if you’ve never hunted before.” Lightly toned mockery filtered through his ears, muffled by the whirl of icy wind and the crunch of frost on stone beneath his feet. Thor grunted and paid it no mind, catching a mischievous grin from the corner of his eye. Of course Loki took amusement from this, the playful wretch. He had no fear of frostbite to weigh him down. But that was the least of Thor’s worries. Failure was a far greater presence within his thoughts, clinging to the meat and bone as he trudged up the snow covered cliff side, Loki right on his heels. The prince’s presence did soothe him, to an extent, but it also served as a reminder of why he was doing this in the first place. His own cursed shortcomings. 

Thor had to prove himself, for both their sakes. Within his actions would be the evidence of his trust in Loki, and the respect he had for his magical abilities. He couldn’t fail. He just…couldn’t. Perhaps Thor had been forgiven for his transgressions, as Loki claimed, and part of him prayed that this was true. It gave him some peace of mind. Peace was a fickle mistress though, and he craved something more substantial. Actions spoke louder than words. He’d sworn to present a tangible show of penance as proof of his sincerity, both to himself and his intended, and by the Norns, he was going to do it. It was the whole reason he’d scoured the realms for clues and ideas, listening to every rumor that passed through the loose knit weave of gossip at court, and why the Jotun prince had helped him in his quest to breach the gap between the worlds and come here, the place he knew fate wished him to be. 

“Narnia,” Thor muttered, feeling a lash of cold whip his cheek. He wasn’t certain how he knew, but this was where he’d find the key to his success. These mountains were his best chance. Things weren’t any less difficult now though, despite their relatively smooth arrival. Clever Loki had found a portal to this world in the forests of Midgard, and it brought them here with relative ease. He should have known things would go sour after that. They were on the mountains his sketches had depicted, yes. But where was the witch? All he saw was snow, strange trees with green needles in lieu of proper leaves, and a dusty grey sky promising more of the miserable cold. It was hardly comforting. 

“Need I remind you, this was your idea.” Loki stepped up beside him gracefully, pulling the furred collar of his cloak away from his face. The snow didn’t embitter him at all. He was in his element, and Thor freely admitted to himself that this was likely for the best. What good would it do them if they both suffered from the raging elements? “You might as well be an open book, Thor. I can practically hear your thoughts. They claw and scrape against the confines of your abnormally thick skull.” Fingers that felt nearly warm in the frigid air brushed his vambraces, bypassing the metal and crimson belly to travel down to his knuckles. “Are you really so concerned? We’ve come this far. What left is there for you to do, but slay the witch and claim her treasures.” 

It wasn’t going to be that simple. Thor knew that, and so did Loki, the teasing imp. “You think this won’t be a challenge for me?” His foot crunched through a layer of snow and almost sent him careening down the way they’d came. Loki’s hand was all that saved him from this embarrassment, latching onto his wrist and roughly tugging him forward with a strength that was surprising, given his smaller form. Then again, lots of things about him surprised Thor. He should be used to it by now. “You see? The mountain alone gives me trouble!” Lips twitched, threatening to smile. Thor glowered at the horned prince. “We can’t all tread across the snow with elven grace, Loki. You have a natural affinity for this world.” 

By the Norns, he sounded like a sullen child. The amused expression Loki bore did no favors for his current petulant nature, and he grimaced at the sound of chuckling, blue fingers laced through his own to lead him higher up the sloping forest. “My affinity, as you say, is one of my borne talents. Would you deny your wits, whatever ones you possess, or your mighty strength? They are as much a part of you as my ability to walk across the snow without stumbling about like a drunken oaf.” 

“I don’t stumble.” Grunting, Thor gave the hand in his own a squeeze and carried onward. Loki’s words were no more harmful than a wooden dagger in the hands of a child. There was a soft sting, almost immediately relieved by the warm feelings of adoration and care. With anyone else the taunting might have been cruel, but as always Loki treaded a line between humor and lovable mischief. He knew just how to spin his words. The skillful silvertongue. “If the snow doesn’t cease, we may have to make camp. It would be unwise to wander through this realm at night, when its threats are unknown to us.” The idea of being attacked by beasts and creatures should excite him. It didn’t. Thor’s only goal was to find the witch and defeat her in combat. Anything else was a deterrent, and what’s more, he wasn’t alone here. He had to think of Loki’s safety above all else. Proving his intentions wasn’t worth the risk of letting any harm come to his future consort, though Thor knew he was more than capable of protecting himself, if need be. He wanted to avoid unnecessary action. An odd mindset to keep, which didn’t go unacknowledged. 

“Whatever creatures come forth, I doubt they’d offer much trouble.” A red stare turned his way, probing and thoughtful; whatever it saw, Loki took no time to question. “If we find nothing within the hour, we’ll stop to rest for the night. There’s no reason to throw ourselves in danger’s clutches.” Quiet footsteps fell in sync with his own and made an almost musical sound, Thor’s heavier tread like a beating drum in comparison to Loki’s whispering one. It was these sounds that followed them higher up the mountain and then disappeared with the land’s flattened terrain. Wherever they were, there were no more cliffs to scale. Dense forest closed around them now, thick with shadows that clung to the trees and cast their rippling grey veils, deathly shrouds of silence and tarnished snowflakes, falling even heavier from the dark sky. It was a less than warming sight. Thor didn’t hesitate to draw Loki closer to his side and wrap his cloak around him, though he needed not the extra warmth. 

“The snow could bury us if we wait too long. Have you no spell to track the witch to her home?” The sooner they arrived, the better. He wanted to claim his prize and return to Asgard with a pleased Jotun on his arm. In all the Nine there couldn’t be a happier man, if he but succeeded and proved to Loki how greatly he cared. 

Winding his arm around Thor’s waist, Loki contemplated the white coated trees. “I brought you to this world only because you were out of options, Thor, not from some misguided desire to help you. You know my opinion of this quest already. But it hardly matters. Without something of hers to use as a focal point, tracking her with seidr would be futile. We’ll have better luck taking the hunter’s approach.” It was a long while before he spoke again. Or, at least, that’s how it appeared to the thunderer. “I wonder….” 

Like a fool, he questioned him. “What? Did you think of something?” Was there a way to make his task easier? …No. Thor saw quickly that this wasn’t the case. Loki was breeching another topic for discussion, one he realized he wasn’t going to like. “Loki….” growling a warning, he made to silence the Jotun as best as he could, with wayward kisses to his lips and jaw. But it didn’t work. Loki stopped beneath a bower of glistening pine needles and clasped the front of his armor, warning flickers of icy green at his fingertips. The spell to immobilize him, if he thought it necessary. Thor could fight off the effects, and had once before, when they fought each other back in Asgard. Both of them possessed the memories, just as they both understood the delay would offer Loki what time he needed to say his peace. “Very well. Say what you will, and be quick about it. We don’t have time to linger.” 

“We have all the time we need,” Loki contradicted him. “You’re the only one in a rush, Thor. It’s your schemes that led us to this mountainside, and your sentimental nature that slow us down now. If we’re going to continue forth, then I need you to be alert, you oaf. This….brooding?” He gestured to golden features, the shadows haunting Thor’s vivid blue eyes. “Clearly I’m not the one who needs to speak his thoughts. I can see what lurks beneath the jovial mask you attempt to wear, and I grow tired of it. What is this sudden insecurity of yours? I never imagined you the fearful sort. You have ego enough to fill Asgard’s treasury from ceiling to floor, yet in the face of the unknown you bemoan like a pampered child.” Thor bared his teeth at the insult. Paying no mind, Loki rubbed his thumb over chapped lips and applied a bit of pressure, his other hand cool and soft on Thor’s cheek. Comforting, in its own right. He half expected a smack to follow up the tenderness. “Thor. Is the possibility of failure so prominent in your thoughts that they tarnish your every waking moment by my side?” 

“Is that what you believe?” It was the truth, despite his attempts to ignore these feelings. Thor knew it, and clearly Loki did too. There was little that escaped him. “Loki..” covering the chilled hand with his own, he gazed down into viridian orbs and stroked the bloodlines marked into Loki’s skin, tracing them till they vanished beneath the warm green wool of his cloak. “You see too much.”

“Am I at fault because you choose to hide your secrets in plain sight, just as you adorn your sleeve with your beating heart? Only a fool could be blind to them, Thor, and I am no fool.” The Jotun turned away and continued their traipse through the building snow. Unlike Thor, he appeared to float across the pearlescent surface, just as he had that night on the lake, with all of Asgard’s stars glittering above his head. “If you didn’t want me to see, then keep your silence and wear a mask.” He looked back over his shoulder; the rising moon slashed his cheekbones with pearl and streaking raven colored locks with diamond ribbon. “But I must warn you. Such talents are only becoming to those who embrace then with willingness and open arms.” 

Which Thor could never do. He was a warrior, bred for battle with the power of thunder churning through his veins. He was meant to charge and fight with bellowing roars, compassion his rare mistress at arms, more suited to matters of the throne. And those whom he trusted with all his heart. “I fear I would make a poor student.” Patient steps carried him to Loki’s side. Thor slung his arm around the prince’s shoulders and breathed in the scent of fur and the natural musk that was Loki, fragrant like the earth and oddly spicy. “I appreciate you as you are. Can you not extend the same courtesy?”

“You think I don’t?” Laughter wisped through the night air. “All seeing Thor. When will you learn? If I found fault with what you are, then why would I help you? Why would I bring you here, knowing you seek to prove that which is already acknowledged?” Loki pressed into him as they walked, the curve of his horns arching over Thor’s shoulder. He was thankful for their heights being just so that this was possible, lest he be gored by one of them. They had rather sharp tips. “Fear not. You’ll succeed, just as you always do. And when the witch’s blood bathes the ground at my feet, you’ll have your reward, and I mine.”

The sheer simplicity of his claims was in that Loki spoke them with certainty. He didn’t question that Thor would succeed, nor did he appear to mind that he’d been roped into these plans with his understanding of magic as a useful tool. Thor wondered, frowning at his smaller companion. “Why do you help me, Loki? You think this is a fool’s mission, do you not?”

“I think it’s pointless, since I’ve already forgiven you. But that’s the point. You’re arrogant, and stubborn. You’ll never acquiesce because you believe you have something to prove, and trying to change your mind would only be a waste of my time.” The snow grew deeper, reaching Thor’s knees, and Loki’s inner calves. It made their every step more difficult. Treading more carefully, for apparently even he was affected, Loki held his arm and offered a smile that was achingly beautiful. He looked….happy. “Dissuading you is fruitless, so I decided to offer my assistance instead. The sooner you succeed and bring me the witch’s head, the sooner we may return to Asgard, your pride assuaged.” 

That was why he offered his help. That was why Loki walked with him now, and went along with a scheme Thor knew was ludicrous. The mockery didn’t change the real intent behind his words. Loki only helped him because he wanted to, and because…he cared. Beaming, Thor ignored the sudden halt in his step and enfolded the cold figure more securely in his arms, resting his chin atop a glistening mound of snow speckled hair, lips finding the base of a ebony horn. “Thank you, Loki. I promise, when the witch is slayed all that she possesses will be yours. You have my word. Your pleasure is the only reward I need.” Faith renewed, he had no choice but to realize his own potential and see that the Jotun was right. He’d triumph, all would be well. What other choice was there? 

“If pleasure is what you want, then you’ll have it. More than you can ever handle.” Turning into Thor’s kisses with a lazy smile, Loki swept a branch of pine out of the way and pointed past the mists and gloom, where the silhouette of a fortress of stone and ancient planks was just barely visible. It looked older than Asgard itself, roughly hewn from the mountain with torches flanking the walls and glowing like far away beacons, calling to them. And the entire area screamed with power. Thor felt the hairs on his arm stand to attention, much like when he used Mjolnir to call forth lightning and storms. He wondered what Loki could sense, glimpsing magic cusped in his sapphire palms. “I believe we’ve found your witch,” Loki hummed. Excitement glowed in his eyes, inviting and crashing like crimson waves. The look stirred something within Thor and built his own anticipation to glorious heights, the fingers of his free hand stirring against Mjolnir’s handle.

“Lets not waste any time then.” He pressed a kiss to Loki’s brow and lead the way, giving no more thought to any other possibility than success and glory. He’d triumph. That much was certain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Leave her to me.”
> 
> “But of course. How many times must I say it? This is your scheme Thor, not mine. I’ve no interest in fighting today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part three! This is where shit’s gonna hit the fan. We’re talking Thor being a badass, Loki being his usual tricky self, and Jadis….ah Jadis. She’s finally going to be introduced! Yup. Albeit, it’s my interpretation of her, and I’ve never written a Chronicles of Narnia fic before, but I tried my best! Here’s hoping you guys enjoy it. ;) Also, I should make a point. This is set before the whole shebang where Jadis attempts to take over Narnia and freezes it with the 100 year winter. It’s not necessarily important to this story, but you should keep that in mind when you get to a certain part. Heheh. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Marvel and its characters aren’t mine. The same applies to Chronicles of Narnia.

Perhaps things weren’t meant to go smoothly. That was certainly what Thor was beginning to think, since they were currently being prodded what looked like a throne room by painful looking spears, held in the grasps of beasts he swore were giant boars, yet…they talked. In fact, since being captured outside the castle walls, he’d discovered that nearly all of the wild animals that roamed these mountains talked. It was one of the strangest things he’d ever come across in his travels. Thor had little time to marvel over this oddity though, seeing as how they were in a predicament of sorts. With their capture, both he and Loki had been bound in manacles with thick ropes of chain between them. He could break these with ease, if he wanted to, and Loki’s magic was capable of reducing the chains to a strength reminiscent of wet paper. Even that wasn’t necessary; his ice alone could cause irreparable damage to the metal. Yet neither of them made a move.

They stood side by side in the throne room, watched from the corners by two of the horned guards who had originally captured them. Hardly a threat, Thor scoffed. He could take them down all by himself. Loki was also more than capable of holding his own. Still, both of them stood their ground and remained, each for his own reasons. Thor personally had every intention of taking advantage of the situation. Capture or not, he was in a prime position to bring his offer for battle against the witch. Now that she’d imprisoned a Prince of Asgard, Thor had every right to slaughter her and take her possessions as recompense. As for Loki…..he suspected the trickster was merely curious about the witch, and what magic she wielded.

“The mark of a good practitioner is the ability to lie in wait. Patience, Thor.” Loki’s whisper carried to his ears. Thor turned his head and stared down at the Jotun with a half smile, though it grew distressed at the corners with the sight of proud Loki without his cloak or daggers, heavy manacles weighing down his slender wrists. The guards had stripped him of all possessions upon capture with callous, pawing hands, for which Thor had almost slaughtered them. No one touched his consort. But without risking his entire plan, he had no choice but to allow it and swear to himself that he’d seek vengeance upon them all when he was through with the witch. Loki himself hadn’t put up a fight, undoubtedly for the same reasons. Nevertheless, it still gave Thor grief to see his beloved so…naked. He wouldn’t freeze without his cloak, and he had magic still to use as weapon and shield. That made the sting no less difficult to bear.

“Are you well?” Ignoring the blatant growls of the guards across the room, Thor brushed his hand over Loki’s shoulder and neck, gathering his long hair in a loose fist. It wasn’t the tenderness that he desired. He wanted nothing more than to hold Loki close and protect him as much as he could. Or rather, as much as would be allowed. The prince was stubborn about those sort of things. “Loki? Answer me. Are you-”

A scolding gaze snapped towards his handsome face, radiating a whole cornucopia of emotions Thor had no chance of picking apart. He wasn’t that adept at reading Loki. In time, perhaps, but they were mysteries for now, save for two that he was well familiar with. Having seen these emotions before, Thor recognized them well. Malice. Mischief. Twins at arms that survived well without the other, but had been brought forth now to writhe within their Jotun master. It was a frightening sight, and he wondered, was this wrath to turn upon him? He bent down to kiss Loki’s temple, praying it wasn’t so. “Loki, forgive me. I shouldn’t have brought you here. This is my doing.” Tan fingers rasped through his hair, beseeching, slow. “I swear, you’ll have vengeance for what these monsters have done.”

“And what have they done, Thor, other than treat us as the enemies that we are?” The slabs of ruby glass that were Loki’s eyes appeared to light up from within, glowing with a new vitality that had Thor staring back, confused. “You believe I’m angry with you,” he hummed, clasping the hand wrapped in his silky locks and kissing the flat of its palm. “You’re a fool. I have nothing to be angry for. In fact, why are you not bouncing with joy? Is this not what you wanted?” Thor’s confusion grew, and Loki sighed with an exasperated sort of fondness. “Look where we are. The witch’s castle, just as you planned.”

“As her prisoners,” Thor amended. “That was not my intention, Loki. We weren’t supposed to be captured. I meant to storm her fortress as a warrior and demand she do battle. If she refused, I’d have slaughtered her on sight. But this? No. This is a slight against the House of Odin. Against us both. Which I might have forgiven, had they not treated you thusly.” He rattled the chains, giving cuffed blue wrists a pointed glare. “The sight of you in bondage is not a pleasant one, and those animals dared to lay hands on you. For that, I would let them feel the weight of Mjolnir when I crash her through their skulls.” Had his own armor and Mjolnir not been tuned to his own inner magic, Thor’s skin might have been stripped naked to the chilling air as well. A small comfort, since Loki was still half naked beside him, dressed only in his emerald colored loincloth. They had stripped Loki of all else; his finery, the jewels and silver once threading his raven hair. Even the vambraces he so coveted. Though he didn’t appear too distressed by this loss, when Thor looked close enough and saw the grin hiding within the sharp curve of his lips. “Loki? You aren’t bothered by this?”

Loki smirked, genuinely and without care. “No. I promised to help you achieve your little quest, and here we are. Just where you need to be. What of it if we’re chained and bound, and I stripped of a few measly trinkets? I have more than enough jewels in your treasury of a realm, and you’ll have bounty aplenty once you defeat the witch and take all she possesses for your own.”

“Nay, for you. I swore that all she owns will be yours.”

“Mm. So you did. Though I’ve little use for baubles and gold, or whatever else she might be hoarding in these icy halls. One marginally useful gift would suffice.” Cocking a dark brow, he angled his body into the warmth of Thor’s and his arms, cheek resting on the flat planes of his silver colored armor. “I’ve told you this, and still you believe that a few uncomfortable touches and some chains would bother me? Don’t be daft, you bigheaded fool. These trappings are nothing to either of us. Were I inclined, I’d show those overgrown cows in the corner just how pathetic their attempts really are.”

Damn him to Hel for it, but Thor couldn’t resist a small laugh at the Jotun’s expense. “That hardly seems fair. Your horns are far more impressive than theirs, and yet you call them cows?” He stroked one of the glossy appendages, following it back up the shaft where it curved naturally into Loki’s brow, chuckling harder at the affronted, though amused, expression he shot his way.

“Why Thor, is that a jest I hear? I think the cold has begun to addle your senses. Though I must admit, you’ve picked a wonderful time to display this odd sense of humor.” He gestured to the stone wall farthest from them, and the archway at its very center, detailed with pillars and dripping sconces. Thor wasn’t entirely certain what Loki meant him to see or hear, until he quieted and focused his attentions, electricity warily thrumming within his veins. There was something coming. He could feel it. An oppressing wave of power was pushing against his skin, and it threatened to stifle him, choke the very air from his lungs while it whipped around its mistress like a living, breathing entity. The stench of misery was upon it, and a rotten sweetness that reminded Thor of apples left for too long under a summer sun. “Magic,” Loki spoke under his breath, staring intently at the blackness. “You aren’t a sorcerer, or a mage, so you can’t feel it like I do. But you do sense something, don’t you?”

“….Aye. It’s a foul presence.” And it was coming right towards them, until both their eyes were riveted on the column flanked gloom without flinching, Thor’s fingers curling deliberately around a blue forearm to urge the prince even more closely against his side. When it was but a half dozen feet away, bowed his head and growled into Loki’s ear. “Leave her to me.”

“But of course. How many times must I say it? This is your scheme Thor, not mine.” Loki’s smile was cunning as a serpent, velvety smooth and dripping with saccharine sweetness. “I’ve no interest in fighting today.”

The careful phrasing had Thor’s hackles rising. His trickster side was showing again. Loki was planning something, whether it was to interfere, or concoct a twisted plan of his own. He didn’t know. Still, he’d sworn to keep out of the battle, and that was all Thor could ask from him, when he owed his ongoing success to the sly rogue. “Loki--” the rotten stink grew stronger and engulfed him fully, tangling in his hair and clothes. It took all his willpower not to gag, or choke, Mjolnir vibrating angrily against his hip and making his fingers tighten around the leather wrapped handle. This was it. Thor prepared himself, stubborn and proud as he faced the archway with its plunging shadows and bleak aura, from which came a glimpse of steel and pearl, long white fingers clutching a wrought iron sword. And a voice, wrathful and elegant, with no drop of feeling or tender emotion.

_"Who dares to tread through my home uninvited?”_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I would have you trust me, Thor. Trust in me, and what I mean to do.”

Lightning crashed off the stone walls and ricocheted back to his palms, aglow with crackling blue white energy that traveled down his right fist to Mjolnir’s handle, and the rune inscribed metal. He hadn’t meant to use his favored weapon in battle, but that ruling had quickly been overturned the moment he realized that this witch was a most fierce warrior. Unstoppable? Of course not. Thor could defeat any foe! But she was a mighty challenger, and he had sworn not to underestimate her. He wasn’t. She possessed powerful magic, a strength not incomparable to his own, and a ruthlessness that rather reminded him of Loki. It would be a true pleasure to defeat her, and reap the benefits once her blood soaked the floor.

“Stand down, sorceress! If you submit now, I swear your death will be a quick one.” Wearing a fierce smile on his dirtied face, Thor hefted his hammer and pointed it towards the white skinned creature across the room, her long fingers wrapped around the handle of an iron sword that would’ve been far too hefty for any other to lift. Yet she brandished it as if it were made of glass, the sharp tip pointed towards his throat. It had already drawn first blood. The cut on his arm seeped deep red, though it was hardly a trifle. She’d have to work much harder to harm him.

 _“You dare threaten me, Son of Adam? You don’t understand the power I wield.”_ Laughter bubbled forth from her icy lips. The brittle sound reminded him of branches breaking under the weight of winter snow. She was a creature of ice, but unlike Loki, who had the power as his birthright, it was only the utter chill that permeated her flesh and blood. It was in her heart as well. There was no love to this woman. Only hate, cruelty, the encompassing cold and deadly narcissism of one who thought herself above all others. Thor recognized that he might have become such a villain, had he never mastered his own arrogance. Had he never met Loki.

“I know not this Adam is, witch. I am Thor Odinson, Prince of Asgard! Protector of the Nine Realms.” He thrust Mjolnir out, fingers steadfast on the handle. Thunder boomed, rattling the stones beneath their feet. “Know my name well. You will call upon it when you beg me to spare your life.”

Calculating onyx eyes gleamed mercilessly, shifting from him to the spot to his right. _“Do you really think I would beg you for anything? You are ignorant, little prince, bringing yourself and your companion here. You won’t leave with your lives.”_

What anger he’d been holding back returned full force, racing through his bloodstream with all the hunger for war churning in his belly. “You dare? You dare threaten my consort?” Thor took a protective stance in front of his future queen, feeling scarlet eyes pierce his nape. Loki didn’t need protecting, would be amused by his attempts to try, but that didn’t stop him in the slightest. He sensed the woman’s power, and what she would do with it. That sword in her hand was no mere decoration; she had every intention of running him through with it. And then she would turn her fury upon Loki. “You’ll not touch him, witch!” Thor roared, rushing towards her. “I’ll rend your head from your body before I let that happen!”

She met him full force, sword clashing against his gauntlet. Magic and lightning sparked between their bodies, illuminating her sharp, though lovely face. It was a chilling beauty, hers, threatening to cut all who stared too closely. _“Is that your purpose here? You think to kill me?”_ Teeth the color of pearl glinted in her smile, and she pressed more of her weight upon the sword, forcing Thor to dig in his boots and shove back. He wouldn’t be outmatched by a seidr wielding shrew!

“Silence your wagging tongue, or I’ll rip it from between those poisonous lips!” He dared a quick look over his shoulder, and scarlet irises instantly drew the breath from his lungs. Loki was watching their battle with unabashed glee, pacing back and forth while his shackled wrists clinked, the thick chain dangling between them stretched completely taut as it was twisted by azure colored fingers. He could snap it in a heartbeat. Quicker. But he waited, watched, heeding Thor’s edict to stay out of it while restlessly pacing the room. For his sake, Thor would end things soon. Then he’d enjoy the wild chaos that was Loki, splayed across the flagstone floor. With those thoughts in mind, Thor grinned and swung Mjolnir down, planning to cave in the witch’s skull.

He didn’t miss. The hammer simply met her forearm instead, taking the brunt of the swing’s power. What rightfully should’ve broken bones merely sent both of them flying backwards to crash against the floor, his body rolling several feet until it landed in a crumpled pile near the wall, while the witch was tossed against the foot of her throne, surprised fury painting her fair features. She’d expected to brush off the blow as if it were nothing. He’d expected it to be his ending stroke. Thor growled, unable to suppress his appreciation. “You’re strong.” He’d fought stronger. And he wouldn’t be defeated, not this day. There was far too much at stake. No matter that his foe was an impressive force, or that her durability was on par with his own. Thor was going to destroy her, and prove to Loki that he thought him worthy, no matter what it took.

 _“You thought me weak, Son of Adam?”_ The woman who had declared herself future Queen of Narnia picked herself up slowly, with the true grace of one borne to royal blood. Whatever her fate was now, she would have made a fierce queen. Formidable, tempered, enduring as a winter storm. Thor felt no shame in confessing that he was pleased her realm was so very far from his own.

“You are an impressive foe.” He righted himself and proudly threw out his arm, Mjolnir rushing back to his side with a cold gust of air. “It will do you no good. I will have your death this day, witch, and your riches shall be mine.” For Loki. All for Loki. He wouldn’t touch a single coin.

 _“Riches?”_ Scorn laced the woman’s voice, and she turned her gaze from Thor to the observant Loki. _“And you think to obtain them with mere force? For what purpose? A warrior has no need for jewels.”_ Her mouth twitched with a heartless smile, dark eyes raging war with his consort’s own scarlet, the abundant knowledge within them making Thor’s protective instincts flare to life once more. Her sword lifted, glittering, the sudden flash blotting his vision with silver as sharp as her tongue. _“Just as a witch has no more purpose for pretty baubles.”_

He had to move fast to block the blade, when it nearly came rushing down upon their heads. Thor growled at her, lightning dangerously flashing around his hands, striking out at the weapon half buried in his vambraces. The trickle of warm blood was jolting, but of no real consequence. Until she pushed harder, and he felt a burning sting overtake his forearm. Impressive. Aesir flesh was not so easily torn, nor their bodies harmed. “Your hold is weak, witch,“ he spat courageously, haunches rising, the scent of copper filling his nose. His mighty forearms gave a hard tremble, the muscles straining; yet Thor refused to back down, and gave twice the effort as before, pushing until he could feel the blade shaking in its sheath of golden flesh. “You seek to harm what is mine! I’ll naught show you any mercy now.” Thor’s smile twisted in on itself, half morphed into a grimace. It was a frightful match to the scowl his enemy wore. “Nay. Now, I will take pleasure in your death, witch!” He wrenched his arm free of the sword and swung back his fist, Mjolnir crackling with power, “And I will present your broken body AT HIS FEET!”

“The death of a fellow sorcerer then. Truly, Thor, is this how you seek to gain your penance?”

The swing didn’t muffle the pleasant tones of his consort in the slightest. Perchance, it had something to do with the veil of green that flashed between him and the otherworldly queen, tossing them both away from each other. And through it all, Loki took their outrage in stride, calmly stepping before Thor with his palms splayed out in a gesture of peace. It might have been believable, were he not so well known to the thunderer. There was also the seidr glowing brightly around them. That rather gave away his true intentions. “You are a fool. Your arrogance is that of a seasoned warrior, yet this? This is the scheme of a dim witted child. What good would killing her do? What purpose would it serve, either me or you? No. I can no longer stand by and allow this madness to continue. Not if we ever hope to leave this cursed realm with our lives.”

What madness was he speaking? “Loki….” Thor narrowed his eyes, pride aching from the callous disregard of the Jotun’s words. “Don’t do this. You swore not to interfere…”

“I said I had no interest in fighting, Thor. That is hardly the same thing. And as you can see, I am not fighting. I’m merely preventing your own foolishness from ruining any opportunity you might have to see your goal realized. You should be thanking me.” Weaving more magic through the air above his palms to keep out the woman picking herself up off the floor, Loki calmly stepped back into the protective nest of Thor’s arms, though he didn’t allow himself to be hidden away again. It didn’t matter. The damage was already done. The witch’s eyes were stubbornly turned upon him, never blinking, only moving to watch his lips spout their twisted words rather than his sorcery in elemental form, flaring between them like a wall of emerald fire.

It wasn’t the first time, nor did he doubt it would be the last, but Thor desperately wished in that moment that he had some sort of means to silence his consort’s silvery tongue.

“Do not play games with me, trickster. You twist both our words to suit your convoluted schemes, but for what purpose? Are our intentions not the same?” He knew the wall was safe, protecting them from any unwanted blows. It bore him no fear to turn his back to the livid woman outside its sanctity to hide Loki from view, so that he alone might look into those eyes and see what truths were encapsulated beneath their light celadon. “Loki. Tell me why you have done this.”

Loki gave him a frown that bordered on exasperation. “The fault is not mine if you are incapable of listening to a word I say.” He silenced Thor with a look that could have frozen his blood, his retorts dying off to only an irritated grumble. His thoughts were free though, and they ran rampant. What was Loki thinking? They had no time for this! The witch would not wait for them to speak, and sort out their differences. This was battle, war! And he was determined to slay her, that he might retrieve her belongings and offer them forth. There was no other way. Thor owed Loki a great debt, for his arrogance and quickness to disregard that which made the Jotun powerful had almost destroyed the budding relationship they had so tentatively and cautiously fostered. He couldn’t stand by now and--

But he was. Before the duel, he had treated him much the same as he was now. Thor behaved as if he knew what was best for Loki, when in fact it had always been the opposite, hadn’t it? Loki knew what he wanted, what he needed. He always had. He’d shown Thor the error of his ways in treating him like a defenseless child, and now he was doing it once more. Always the trickster, the god thought with a bemused smile, turning to face the waiting foe on the other side of the emerald colored barrier. “Speak quickly. You are a powerful sorcerer, Loki, but even your magic is not impenetrable. She will find her way past its defenses. I would have your wishes known before that happens.”

“My wishes…..” the words were tongued, as if being tasted. Perhaps they were. Loki was clearly skeptical of their worth. “Then you’re willing to listen to what I want?”

“Aye. I didn‘t seek war with a power crazed witch for the glory, Loki. I care not for her wealth, nor the bounty of tales that shall be woven after this day. I do this for you, and only you.” Hefting his hammer, Thor spared a glance over his shoulder to the Jotun, who was beginning to smile, and looking at him with that same unabashed glee as before. It wasn’t the battle alone that entertained him, he realized. It was the potential, the promise for what could be. How fitting. “Now. I swore to you riches, and so you will have them. Name your prize, Loki. Whatever you desire. There is no price too high, no tribulation too great. For you, I would endure them all.”

“…..Very well. There is something I desire from you. Something that I believe will make us both very happy.” Thor tensed, awaiting the rest. Lightning sparked and began warring inside the seidr bubble protecting them; it was as eager as its master. On the other side his enemy lingered, speaking words he couldn’t hear, drowned though they were in the sounds of his and Loki’s breathing, the magic and lightning rippling through the air. He was this close to success. He could almost taste it. Loki had only to tell him what he needed to do, and then they could be done with this. Penance, and forgiveness would both be his.

If he answered. Why did he wait so long? Concerned, Thor turned his head and caught sight of the Jotun grinning, green flashing across his marked features. He recognized it as the shield falling, almost as soon as he realized that Loki was darting forward to meet the witch and her sword head on, his whisper carrying back to the prince’s ear with a husky aftermath of laughter. “I would have you trust me, Thor. Trust in me, and what I mean to do.”

“Loki!”

Down the blade cleaved, rushing towards their heads. Trust, trust him. But the sword--ready to cleave into their skulls...no, HIS, spilling dark blood in frozen puddles across the floor. Wounding him. Killing him. Thor screamed in rage, Loki’s words ringing in his ears.

“Loki! NO!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What are you doing, Loki?” Thor hissed in the Jotun’s ear. “You can’t really be thinking of sharing your seidr with her!”
> 
> “Of course not. You have ears, do you not? It’s not my magic she wants, but the ice. Jotunheim’s ice. The smallest fraction of it would be enough to fuel her little war for years to come. Maybe even a hundred…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are. The final chapter! Originally I’d intended to end this on four, but I decided that one more was necessary, to round it all out and make things neat and tidy. I’m pretty pleased with how this story has gone, considering I rarely (if ever) write full fledged stories with multiple chapters. Hopefully you all have enjoyed it too. Thanks for staying along for the ride! Oh, and expect a follow-up fic filled with nothing but shameless smut ;D

Whistling as it rushed towards the Jotun’s head, the sword winked like a beacon of death, light flashing eerily off its sharpened blade. Though Thor dashed forward to prevent its happening, he knew there was no time. She was going to kill him, lop off his horns, bury the sword so deep in Loki’s skull that it might never be separated from the flesh and bone. She was going to--no! Thor screamed his agony, expecting the sound at any time. But….it never came. What he heard instead was the clang of metal meeting metal, chains snapping and spilling their broken links across the floor, and Loki’s laughter mingling with the witch’s outraged cry as the glow of blue ice and emerald magic channeled from his palms and spilled across her form. Sorcery, trickery.

Of course. He should have known better. ‘Trust is earned, Odinson.’ And Loki had done so much to earn his. His abilities were perfected, his seidr unquestionable in its strength. Above all, Thor knew firsthand how great of a warrior Loki truly was, his ruthlessness and trickery matched only by his cunningness with a blade. One glimmered now in his right fist, ice cascading down to the tip in a shower of white and eerie celadon as he slashed it across the flat of alabaster knuckles. They flickered, pulsed brightly, seeking a host in the thin red line oozing blood down the queen’s flesh. From there they crawled over her palm and wrist, then higher still, a steadfast layer of frost freezing her in place. It was a most chilling sight. How well Thor recognized it. This was the very same spell that had reduced him to a motionless, cold statue.

Clever Loki. Always doing the unexpected, but for what purpose now did his spell craft serve? He thought to ask, but the prince was speaking, and that silenced any and all questions Thor might have thought to ask. “So distrustful. Are you incapable of believing in anyone else’s power but your own?” Lowering his hands, Loki directed a smug look towards the thunderer. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Though for the sake of your subjects, I do hope you will amend this behavior before you take the throne. Arrogance has its charm, Thor, but when your eye turns inward, seeing naught but your own strength reflected back upon you, then you lose sight of what others may have to offer.”

“Our subjects, Loki. They are ours. And I do trust you.” Thor didn’t hesitate in approaching him, one of his large hands clasping Loki’s hip with a possessive squeeze. “Aye, I do. Perhaps I feared for your life, when the witch came at you with her sword, but I know better than any the sort of power you wield. Your seidr is a force of nature that I can never hope to comprehend. It’s truly frightening to behold.” He trusted Loki’s sorcery to keep him safe, when he could not.

Trust didn’t silence his wonderings though; Thor had to know why Loki had stopped him from killing the witch. Frozen as she was, she was still dangerous. Her eyes watched them with wrathful emotions churning in their dark depths, mouth twisted into a thin lipped scowl. She wanted them killed, to slay them and throw them aside, no more than lifeless corpses decorating the castle floor. Keeping her alive, even temporarily, was dangerous. Loki had to have a reason for his actions.

“Loki--”

“Hush.” A finger pressed to his lips; he could feel each of its individual whorls brushing the length of his lower lip as the Jotun trickster smirked and tapped it affectionately. “You claim to trust me. Prove it. Stand back, Thor, and allow me to do as I please. I promise, it will in no way hamper your plans. You’ll have your penance,” teeth flashed in bright smile, “and I my treasure.” Seeing Thor’s hesitation, Loki pushed forward and kissed one of his bloodstained cheeks. “That is what you want, isn’t it?”

Aye, it was. This simply wasn’t the way he’d wanted to go about things. Loki was meant to stand back while he dealt with the witch, and proved himself worthy of the Jotun’s affections. His forgiveness. How could he earn these things if he was hindered and forced to a lesser role in his own grand scheme? But it was what Loki wanted. Thor grimaced, glancing between him and their icy prisoner. It’s what he wanted……..and in the end, despite all his longings, that was what mattered most to him. This had never been about him. It was for Loki.

“Do what you must. But she can’t live. You must realize this.” He stepped back and granted Loki space, training his eyes on the crystallized, sharp features across from him. Such hatred burned from her. Potent as a serpent’s venom, she would lash out with it if given even the smallest chance. Odd that Loki didn’t seem the least bit concerned. They were in no real danger; Thor would never allow harm to come to him. To have such faith though, and the willpower to strut towards the queen with his broken shackles dangling from his wrists--it was empowering. Thor basked in it, slightly more content to stand back and give Loki leave to do as he wished.

“Don’t worry. Our lovely queen won’t pose a threat to us anymore.” The trickster’s smile turned to her, and Thor swore he felt the electrical charge of magic pulse through the air between them. Similar to Mjolnir’s, in a sense, but theirs was far more potent. Then again, they were sorcerers. It made sense that their power levels were so impressive. “Isn’t that right? You’re no more a threat to us now than a glimmer of sun to an icy storm.”

For a split second, her expression changed to one of amusement. _“Is that so, little prince? You don‘t think me a threat?”_ Cold laughter trailed from her lips, made sluggish by the ice. _“You must be strong, when even your beloved companion fears what I may do. But strength isn’t enough. This sorcery won’t hold me forever. I will break it, and when I do-”_

“You’ll what? Kill me,” Loki taunted, moving face to face with the witch. She was so much taller than he yet Loki appeared the larger when faced against her pale limbs and unfeeling eyes. There was a power to him, a strength, as it were, that she just didn’t possess. Thor could see it, and he reasoned that so too could the queen. Her words were just that; words. All three of them knew who was the truly more formidable one between them. “You won’t so much as lay a finger on me. Otherwise, you’ll never have that which you so desperately crave. That thing which has plagued your every thought ever since you set eyes on us. On ME.” Loki brought up his hand and hovered it over her ghostly white cheek. “Isn’t that right?”

“Loki…” Thor took a step forward, staring at his lover’s hand. “Don’t touch her. You don’t know what she’s capable of!”

“On the contrary. I do. And so does she. That’s precisely why we’re in no danger here. You see Thor, she covets that which I have. That which I know. Until I either share my secrets with her, or she deciphers it for herself, I can’t be killed. By extension, neither can you. We’re perfectly safe.” He gestured to himself with his other hand, looking far more amused than Thor would have expected. “I only wish there were more like her back on Asgard. Perhaps then my talents might be better appreciated. It’s strange, feeling this coveted. But it’s not without its enjoyment.”

The trickster’s words were like a riddle. Try as he might, Thor couldn’t decipher their meaning. Coveted? What could she want that Loki had? She’d already taken his gold and jewels. His dagger was a creation of seidr, but surely it was no more spectacular than any other? “Speak clearly. What is it then?” Frustrated, he laid a hand on his consort, only to have it shaken off as Loki laughed and splayed blue fingers across his sternum, covering one array of delicate whorls patterning his skin.

“Isn’t it obvious? She wants me! Or, more specifically, my talents.” He turned a smile upon her and shook his head. “Unfortunately, this is no magic. Not in the sense that you’re thinking. The ice is a part of me, imbedded within my very core. It is my life, my blood. You may covet it all you want, but you’ll never have it as I do, I’m afraid. You aren’t Jotun.”

_“Jotun…..is that the name for what you are, creature?”_ Ignoring Thor’s angry growl, her blank gaze turned down towards the small prince and took him in. This time, it was slowly, patiently, to memorize every inch of bare flesh that stood before her. _“You hail from the ice. I sense it. As you say, it thrives within your very core, a part of you since birth.”_

Her interest was unsettling. It took all of Thor’s innermost strength to keep himself away, and not gather his consort into his arms to carry him away, and hide him from those prying eyes. She may want Loki’s power, but he would sooner let all the realms burn than allow one hair on his head to be hurt. “If you even think of harming him, witch--!”

_"Be silent. I have no interest in anything you have to say, fool.”_

Thor reared back, ready to heft Mjolnir and smash it into her skull for daring to say such things to him. It was only Loki’s laughter that stopped him. He found this amusing? “Thor, don’t look so hurt! I meant nothing by it, you know. It’s only that you swore to let me do as I pleased. Remember? You gave me your word,” Loki leaned back and laid a hand on his wrist, applying enough pressure to make him lower the hammer. “Trust me. There is a simple solution to all this, one that I think will benefit us all. It is ice she desires, and I have more than enough to share. With the right incentive….”

“That’s madness!”

_“And what is this incentive? What is it you desire?”_ The queen’s response overrode Thor’s outrage, a trickle of bemusement laced through her tone. _“You speak truth when you say that I desire your control of the ice. Such power would be most beneficial to my plans. If I had some manner in which to wield it, as you do, then I would be unstoppable. Aslan himself couldn’t defeat me!”_ Fighting against the icy layer keeping her prisoner, she turned a greedy, ruthless smile upon them both. _“What would it take? You came here to kill me, you two. The fair prince cries for my death, but you, Jotun, say differently. You must want something from me, to keep me alive. Tell me what it is!”_

Madness--no. It was pure insanity! Loki couldn’t possibly be considering this. How would he even bestow some of his magic upon her? It was a part of him, as he said. Something from which he could never really be parted. Then how…Thor frowned, unable to hide his confusion before Loki could see it. And he did see it. There was no mistaking the sudden arch of his lips, nor the way his crimson orbs gleamed, as if he knew something Thor didn’t. In all likelihood, he did. Loki had been plotting something before they even stepped foot in this cursed castle, but only now was he realizing that it might be important; something he’d overlooked from the beginning. “What are you doing, Loki?” Thor hissed in the Jotun’s ear. “You can’t really be thinking of sharing your seidr with her!”

“Of course not. You have ears, do you not? It’s not my magic she wants, but the ice. Jotunheim’s ice. The smallest fraction of it would be enough to fuel her little war for years to come. Maybe even a hundred…” sly as a fox, Loki pet his nape and soothed the fury on his behalf that Thor was only just managing to contain. His attention was on her though, and with a wave of his hand the ice started receding from her skin, crawling back down her arms and legs until it flaked away, bit by bit. He didn’t give the queen time to properly respond either. The second it was done, Loki thrust his hand out with a smirk. Thor knew it then. It was all so clear. This was all a part of his plan, and things were progressing exactly as Loki wanted. All thanks to his trust, so freely given. Thor sighed, gripping Mjolnir tightly. No matter the consequences, it was done. And he wouldn’t change a--

“Your mantle then, if you please.”

What? Confounded, Thor swiveled the hammer in his grip, not entirely certain he’d heard right. Her mantle? She wasn’t even wearing one! He would have noticed such a thing. But the fair queen had no such questionings herself. Her head turned towards the far wall, where a throne carved out of stone awaited, and, sure enough, there was what Loki had asked for. It was heavy looking, made of white fur that Thor imagined was either coarse to the touch, or velvety smooth. There was no telling which without laying a hand upon it. Other than the white as snow coat there was nothing remarkably outstanding about it though. It was a simple cloak, nothing more. Then again, Thor was hardly the best judge of magical items. It might yet possess some powers he couldn’t see.

_“This is what you would ask for? A fur cloak?”_ As uncertain as Thor was, the witch seemed just as amused. Taking her first steps since she had made to attack them, she walked over to the throne in a swish of fabric and long hair, dark nailed fingers brushing over the pelt. _“That seems a small price to pay. There is nothing special about it, little prince. You could ask for so much more.”_

“Oh, I’m sure. But it is a lovely thing, isn’t it? That’s more than enough reason to desire it.” Loki crooned. Every word dripped with mockery. “I’ve worn similar furs all my life. Most were left behind when I joined my dear consort at his home. Now I would have yours. It reminds me of what I’ve lost. What I left behind..” He glanced to Thor, who flushed irritably. It was true that Loki had had to leave behind much of his possessions in Jotunheim, but he’d never before spoken of his loss. Nor whether or not he wanted them returned. It was strange…

_“You no longer live in your home. The land of the Jotuns.”_ It wasn’t a question. Caressing her mantle almost lazily, she blocked it from sight with her tall girth and sneered. _“You only speak of my half of the bargain. What of yours?”_

“Fear not. I never renegade on my promises, lady queen. In exchange for what I’ve asked, I can craft for you a weapon within which I’ll seal more than enough ice to aid your in your…ah….quest. You’ll be able to summon it at will, like I do.” Loki gestured with his left hand, where spirals of ice danced, flickering, then froze on his fingers like jagged claws. “You may even be able to manipulate it, change its form. That’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself, once you have it in your possession.” 

_"A weapon…..and when would I receive this mystical weapon, Jotun? Do you mean to craft it here?”_

Judging by his chuckle, that was precisely the sort of questioning he had been expecting, and waiting for. “Of course not. I cannot make what you need here. The container itself will have to be small…perhaps a sword, or a wand. Something you can wield expertly, both in the heat of battle and for more delicate use. Crafting it will take days, maybe even weeks! And with the amount of ice required, some intricate spell work will be required to bond it to the form. You surely don‘t expect me to do that here, when both my mate and I are under such emotional duress. No…. I will take your mantle with me, and assume work upon my half of the bargain after we return to our realm. The both of us. Safe, sound, and untouched by you and yours.” Loki gave her an innocent smile, bled through with mockery. “Never fear. I‘ll be more than happy to bring it to you personally once it’s finished. You have my word.”

The outraged cry she responded with sounded more to Thor like a banshee’s wail. Grimacing, he protected Loki from its blast with his arms, though it didn’t seem to phase the trickster in the slightest. “Loki, enough of this,” he growled under his breath. “Why do you pretend to bargain with her? If the cloak is what you want, then I’ll retrieve it for you! You needn’t bother with this charade.”

“You dare call my having fun a charade? For shame, Thor. Where is your sense of levity?” Still wearing that damnable smile, Loki shot one of the icicles coating his fingers through the air, where it smashed none too kindly against the enraged witch’s shoulder. But it caught her attention, which was precisely what he’d been aiming for. “Listen, and listen well. You will receive the weapon I’ll craft for you, as promised, but on my terms, witch. Otherwise, I’ll be more than happy to act upon my mate’s suggestion.” He pressed against Thor with a coy flutter of his dark lashes. “I’m afraid I’ve terribly disappointed him thus far, in denying him your death. If you find our bargain distasteful, I’d be more than happy to allow you two to continue attacking each other. Perhaps after your death I’ll explore the castle, see what other treasures hide behind these stone walls.” Loki hummed, as if in contemplation, daring to share with Thor a demure gaze. “After all, I was promised anything I desire….”

It was that playful sort of behavior that told Thor everything he needed to know. The trickster had done it all on purpose. Everything. From the very beginning, his assistance had only been a ploy to get them here, precisely in this sort of situation. He didn’t know why; it may have merely been Loki’s thirst to stir up trouble. He did so love to toy with others, making a show of it all. But now that they were here, Loki was using him to his advantage. Thor would ensure him his prize, in exchange for the penance he so craved. He was getting exactly what he wanted, and promised, though not in the way he’d originally imagined. And Thor couldn’t find it within himself to be angry. In fact….it was all rather amusing, wasn’t it?

Nay. Thor pointed Mjolnir in the witch’s direction, giving in to the fierce grin spreading across his lips. It was FUN. “You will listen to my consort, witch. Hand over the mantle, unless you crave the sensation of my hammer caving in your skull.”

_“Never! You dare think to refuse me first claim, when you trespassed in my lands, and threatened my life? I could kill you both for this,”_ she spat venomously, curling her fingers into aggressive claws. Neither Loki or Thor were intimidated.

“You may certainly try. But between the two of us, your chances of making it out alive are despairingly slim.” Mjolnir sparked with lightning, pulsing hotly around Thor’s fingertips and illuminating his wild eyes. “I know of the travesties you’ve inflicted upon this world. As future King of Asgard, I could very well slay you for your crimes. And for the indignities you forced my consort to suffer.” He waved to Loki, who stood still in his nakedness, stripped of all the finery and brilliant gold. “What you’ve done to him is enough to be punished by death, witch.”

“I think you’re forgetting the most important point,” Loki interjected, stroking Thor’s nape with his fingertips. “If we take the mantle, then there’s no need to uphold my half of the bargain. A witch has no need for power when she lies dead within the grave. But if you give it to us now, of your own free will….” he looped a strand of blond hair around his finger; it was an affectionate gesture, and utterly enjoyable to the thunder god. “I’ll act in kind. You’ll have your weapon, and the ice it can conjure. On this, I swear.”

The witch appeared more ready to throttle them senseless than agree. Yet she didn’t have any other choice. Not really. It was either agree with Loki’s bargain, or death. Thor wouldn’t be adverse to the latter, if he got another chance. “Witch, it’s a fair bargain. You would be wise to accept. Otherwise--” he twirled Mjolnir, lightning dangerously shooting out through the air and crackling hungrily. “I’ll be happy to end this now. But be warned. Between the two of us, you have no hope of making it out alive. Choose your fate wisely.”

Whether or not the threat was treated with the respect it deserved, it was enough. They got what they wanted. _“Very well, little prince. You strike a difficult bargain, but, I accept. Only a fool would reject the sort of power you offer.”_ Fur piled up in her alabaster arms, she approached them and thrust the entire bundle into Loki’s arms, talons scratching his wrist as she grasped it in a warning grip. _“Here. Have your spoils. Though know this first. If you don’t return…if I am denied what is rightfully mine--”_

"You'll.....kill me?"

She would do no such thing! Thor growled, ripping her hand aside. “Do not dare insult my consort. He gave you his word. That should be more than enough to satisfy your greed.” He took the heavy cloak from Loki and glared, the force of which could have ignited storms across all the nine realms. “Now return that which you stole from him, witch. I’ll not have him traipsing about like some beggar’s child!”

“Oh Thor, don’t bother. This is more than enough to make up for the loss of a few paltry jewels.” Loki’s hand caressed the soft cloak in his arms. With the way he admired it, eyes lit up like red jewels, he almost appeared a gleeful child. “You made the right choice. With the weapon I’ll create for your use, you’ll be unstoppable. No beast would dare cross paths with you.”

_“Few dare it now.”_ Clearly seething from his trickery, she stalked away from them and retrieved her mangled sword; it had undergone much damage when Loki deflected it with his manacles. Likely some seidr was involved. _“One month. You have one month to bring me what I’ve asked for. If you don’t return by then, I won’t care how long it takes, nor how many worlds I must cross. I will find you, child, and you both will suffer for your treachery.”_

Thor tensed, pulling him towards the now unguarded doors but Loki waved off her threats without a backward glance. “Treachery? I wouldn’t dream of it.” He resisted Thor’s tug and called after her retreating form. “I’ll need a name, if we’re to strike this bargain proper! Or do you plan for me to craft a weapon for a stranger?”

Stubborn wretch. “Loki, enough. You have what you wanted. Let us-”

_“You came to my world, had your golden boar attack me, yet you never knew my name? Fool boy.”_ No glance was spared. She spoke with her back turned, disappearing back through the wall’s crevice, just as she’d came. _“I am Jadis. The Queen of Narnia. Know it well, little prince. It will be the name you whisper in broken breaths if you dare betray me.”_ The wall closed shut with a thundering groan, and they were left alone, the coldness of the room pressing in around them. Without her presence, it was less stifling, the sickly sweet rotting scent fading from the air. Nonetheless, Thor didn’t relish lingering. The levity of their situation was fast fading, and the consequences harrowed above their heads, overwhelming his conscience.

“We’re leaving. Now. Come Loki.” Thor wrapped a strong arm around the grinning Jotun and led him through the doors, leaving the oppressive weight behind. He wanted to hurry them out of this castle, and this damned world. Twice damned now, if Loki were to go through with his maddened plan. What was he thinking, striking that bargain with her? Thor had agreed to it, for there was little other choice, but it was no less mad. And now that he had time to give it thought, he realized what Loki had done. What they had done. It was all the truest workings of a crazed Jotun trickster. “You could have been killed. You realize this, don’t you? The witch would have slain you without a second thought.” The freezing wind lashed at them when they reached outdoors. Thor unfolded the fur cloak and threw it over Loki’s shoulders, unable to ignore how fetching it looked with his complexion and raven hair. The price of beauty was steep though. “And now you’ve given her a tool of greater power. Did you not think, Loki?” She will raze this world to the ground.”

“What she will do no is no less than what Asgard has done to all who oppose the Allfather‘s might. Or yours, for that matter.” Gathering the mantle around him, Loki purred and nuzzled into its soft fur, watching him from the corner of his eyes. “Do you think me a fool? I know what Jadis will do with the power I’ll give her. She’ll be unstoppable, with the forces of winter and ice at her beck and call. She could freeze this entire world if she really wanted to.” His smile teased, growing bigger. “Knowing this, don’t you think I’ve something planned? Or has your trust in me faded, now that the threat of danger is over?”

Thor scowled at him, more exasperated than angry. “I trusted your mad scheme, and look what happened. You denied me my kill, and played games instead, idly threatening when we could have slain her and-”

“What? Walked out as if nothing had happened?” Loki rolled his eyes, taking Thor’s hand as they approached the castle’s encampment. There were no souls about, the torches little more than slumbering coals in their holders. Thor was more concerned with the snow; it was several feet high, in piles that towered and gleamed against the mountainside. It would take hours for them to travel through.

“Nay. We could have fought! Between us two, her guards were hardly a challenge.”

“The guards, yes. But what of her army?” At his surprised look, the Jotun sighed and started leading him through the snow. In his cloak, he was all but vanished against its powdery white. “Without knowing their numbers, we’d have been fools to consider facing them. This was the smoothest course of action, and it ensured our continued safety. The Allfather would likely have my head if anything had happened to his beloved son. So what if the witch will possess a new power? This way, we’ve survived without suffering a single scratch, and there are relations between us. You have power over her now, Thor. She fears you. You faced her as a proud warrior, and were set to slay her, where others had failed. All I’ve done is take that respect a few steps further. There is a greater fear in life than in death. She will live, and remember this day. Remember what we‘ve done.” Loki shrugged. “And if the fate of this realm bothers you that much, then her fear will be all that more invaluable. It would be no trouble for you to return and stop her anew, pound her armies to the dust.”

Loki was trying to soften him up, singing praises and sweetness with his silken tongue. It was working well. “Aye…..this is true.” Thor murmured. There was something Loki had said that struck him oddly though, when he thought it through. Hugging him close to his side, he nudged the top of his horns and squeezed Loki’s forearm, gaining his attention. “What did you mean, when you said to have something planned? Is it to do with the weapon?” He saw the Jotun’s sly expression, hiding behind an air of innocence and ignorance. “Loki………”

“Do we not have more important things to discuss?” He turned about and caught Thor in a fleeting kiss, with every intention of distracting him from his purpose. It worked well. Thor couldn’t deny those sweet lips, nor their soft bite. “I fulfilled your own desire. The witch was defeated. Not with force, as you’d imagined, but the result was the same. Was it not? I have my prize.” Loki spread his arms to show off his gilding of fur. “And I’m quite pleased with it. Your penance is done. You can stop with all this nonsense.”

“It wasn’t nonsense. I had to prove myself to you, Loki. No matter the cost. You deserved to see for yourself my feelings for you, the lengths to which I would go..”

“Yes, and so I do. They’re exorbitant. I feel so cherished, I might very well smother under its weight.” The tease was lighthearted; sweet, almost, for Loki. “Stop your brooding. Killing Jadis and offering me her head would’ve been a grand display, but this was much better. You gave me leave to work my own schemes, Thor. You trusted me, like you would a fellow warrior. That means more to me than some bloodied corpse, witch or not.” Pushing back the first of many bough branches to cross their paths, he dusted Thor’s face in snow. It didn’t hide from him how Loki smiled, the purest one he’d seen in some time. “You’ve done enough. I hold faith in you, as I hope you do me.”

Thor emblazoned those words across his memory, praying never to forget their sweet sound. It was all he’d wanted, all he’d needed to hear. Loki was happy with him. Loki…trusted him. Were he to die on this mountain top, the thunderer would go to Valhalla with a light heart, his conscience soothed. “My faith is unquestioned, Loki. As is my heart.” He gathered those blue fingers to his lips and kissed their cold skin, almost warm in comparison to the night’s frozen skies. “Let us return to Asgard. Our time here has drawn to a close.” He fluffed the cloak higher around Loki’s face, smiling amusedly. “And you have a bargain to keep.”

“So I do.” Loki returned it, chuckling to himself. “Endless ice…..it is a brutal force to be reckoned with. If she can control it, this realm may yet give her a name to match.”

“Her skin is already white as snow. With her sorcery……” Thor dusted some snow off his shoulder; more flakes had already begun pelting them from the sky above. “The White Witch. That is what I would call her, were I one of them.”

“That’s brilliant, Thor. That’s truly brilliant.” It was his small laugh that told him yes, Loki approved. Or was at least amused. Whichever, Thor couldn’t possibly feel any more happier than he did right then.

 


End file.
